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Offseason 2012: Fielder and K-Rod offered arbitration

As expected, the Brewers have offered arbitration to Prince Fielder and Francisco Rodriguez, and declined to make an offer to shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt.

Fielder is a lock to decline the offer. The team eventually signing him will forfeit a first- or second-round draft pick, depending on last year’s record, and the Brewers will also receive a supplemental pick sandwiched between the first and second rounds.

K-Rod may or may not accept arbitration. If he does, he will receive a raise from his $13.5MM salary last season, but the Brewers will have addressed an area of need in the bullpen. If he does not, under the terms of the new CBA he will not cost the signing team a draft pick, but the Brewers will receive two supplemental picks; one immediately before the signing team’s first pick, and another sandwich pick between the first and second rounds.

Yuniesky Betancourt was not offered arbitration. The salary just would not have made sense given the $2MM buyout the Brewers exercised earlier this offseason. Betancourt has stated he wants to come back to the Brewers, though, and with Clint Barmes signing in Pittsburgh and Jimmy Rollins and Jose Reyes likely too expensive for the Brewers, the shortstop market is thinning out. Betancourt may yet find his way back to the team at a lower salary.

Takashi Saito’s contract prohibited the Brewers from offering arbitration. The Brewers will not receive any draft picks for his departure.